Primary Colours (Pure Colours)
These are your three foundation colours — you’ll mix everything else from them!
• Red (Magenta)
• Yellow (Primary Yellow)
• Blue (Cyan)
When you mix all three primary colours together, you’ll get a dark grey.
Secondary Colours
Secondary colours are made by mixing two primary colours together:
• Green = Cyan + Yellow
• Orange = Magenta + Yellow
• Purple = Magenta + Cyan
Tertiary Colours
Tertiary colours come from mixing two secondary colours.
For example, green + orange = brown.
Complementary Colours
These are colours that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel — like blue and orange, red and green, or yellow and purple. When placed side by side, they make each other pop!
Shades and Tones
• Shades are all the different intensities of a single colour.
• A monochrome range shows a smooth graduation of tones from light to dark.
• Pastel shades move from your chosen colour toward white.
• Dark shades go from your colour toward black — or by adding a little of its complementary colour.
Colours to Begin With
To start silk painting, you only need four dyes:
• Yellow
• Blue
• Red
• Black
From these, you can mix any colour you like — just adjust the percentages until you get your perfect hue!
For beginners we offer a Starter Silk Painting Dye Bundle
How to Mix Your Colours
You’ll need a dropper or pipette to measure your colour mixes accurately.
• Always keep one pipette for each primary colour.
• Start with the lightest colour, then add the darker one drop by drop until you find your ideal tone.
• Rinse the pipette between mixes and when you’re done to stop dyes from drying or affecting your next colours.
• To make colours lighter, use Thinner.
Tip: You can also mix colours directly on the silk! For example, paint a layer of yellow, let it dry, then add a layer of blue to create green.
How Much Dye Do You Need?
As a guide:
One teaspoon of dye covers about a 30cm x 30cm square of Paj silk.
Remember:
• Thicker silks need more dye.
• Always mix a little extra to make sure you have enough for your project.
• Use sample silk strips to test your colours first — silk can surprise you!
And don’t worry — after steaming, your colours will come to life and look even more vibrant.
